Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,706.
Center is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, 38th among Wisconsin's 357 graded towns. The median household earns $115K, it is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns, and its schools rank ahead of 75% of Wisconsin towns. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. 95% of households own their home in Center, where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 74% and U.S. towns at 73%. Center Valley Grade School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 78% of U.S. towns.
Where Center beats most towns.
Where Center’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Center is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 206 in 1860, 3,622 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1888 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Center, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Center.
Center sends most of its workers to Appleton and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Edward School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 57 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WI on state tests and graduation
The typical Center home is worth about $472,000, up 3.2% in a year, 40% above the Wisconsin typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 6,476 U.S. towns with household incomes like Center’s, it is healthier than 60%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
22% of adults binge drink in Center. Center beats the Wisconsin average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Center.
| Center | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Center | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.6% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.1% | 5.5% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.3% | 19% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Center has 442 jobs for its 1,827 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 335 in 2013 to 442.
Most working residents leave Center for work: only 4% work in town. 1.6% of Center residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Center has added 107 jobs, to 442 in 2023.
| Center | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.6% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Center has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Center is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Center | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Butterfly Garden of Wisconsin | 0.7 mi | 7 |
| 2. Town of Center Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaLambeau Field
25 mi LakeLake Winnebago
21 mi Stadium & arenaResch Center
21 mi MuseumNational Railroad Museum
25 mi Theme parkBay Beach Amusement Park
28 mi MuseumEAA Aviation MuseumLambeau Field: JL1Row, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Winnebago: self, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Resch Center: User Royalbroil on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · National Railroad Museum: Dual Freq, CC BY 3.0 · Bay Beach Amusement Park: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0 · EAA Aviation Museum: self, CC BY-SA 2.5
2 within 15 miles of the center of Center
About 5 of every 100 Center residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin.
Town in Wisconsin, United States
The Town of Center is a located in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,622 as of the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Center Valley, Hamples Corner, Mackville, and Twelve Corners are located in the town. The unincorporated community of Five Corners is also located partially in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Center.
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center | #38 | A | B− | — | A− | A− |
| Appleton | #168 | B+ | B+ | C+ | C | B+ |
| Black Creek | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ellington | #132 | A− | B | — | A− | B+ |
| Freedom | #26 | A | B+ | — | B | A− |
| Grand Chute | #267 | B− | C+ | D | C | A− |
| Osborn | — | — | C | — | C− | B− |
Osborn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Center, Ellington, Freedom and Osborn report no FBI crime data of their own. Black Creek isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Center with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Center grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #38 of 357 in Wisconsin. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 5.5 years of the area's median household income ($85,825 across the Appleton, WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
